Management of respiratory and nutritional decompen­sa­tion after head and neck cancer

Authors : Cugy E. (Bordeaux)

Ref. : Rev Laryngol Otol Rhinol. 2016;137,1:17-21.

Article published in french
Downloadable PDF document french

Summary :
The incidence and mortality of ENT cancers decreased since 1990 by about 3-6% per year, but the frequency remains high with an estimated incidence of 14,500 new cases/year. These cancers are still predominantly male (75% of new cases) and thrive in the age group 45-64 years. Despite progress, morbi­dity and mortality remain high and long-term compli­cations are underestimated in survivors. In patients surviving after 3 years, the main causes of death are, in the first 10 years, a new squamous cell head and neck, a second primary cancer, cardio­vascular disease (including coronary heart disease and stroke), generalized cancer others (including lung diseases, infec­tious or accidental death). To early detection recurrences and complications of treatment, the French Society of ENT offers recommendations for clinical practice since 2009 inclu­ding a monitoring schedule and clinical elements to be addres­sed at every visit. Despite these recommendations, monitoring the effects on swallowing remains difficult. The objective of this development is to recall the elements suspect to be a complica­tion of swallowing disorder.